Two toll plazas to come up on Kangra-Hamirpur stretch
Palampur, July 5
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) will set up two toll plazas on the Kangra-Hamirpur stretch, which is the part of the 225-km Kangra-Shimla highway.
An NHAI spokesperson said the construction of a toll plaza at Ghatta near Ranital is nearing completion, while the other toll plaza will come up in Hamirpur district.
At present, every equipment is being tested at Ghatta and after successful testing, a tender will be floated for operating the toll plaza. The decision to fix toll rates is pending at the NHAI headquarters in New Delhi.
He said the NHAI had been making all efforts to open the Kangra-Hamirpur stretch to traffic before December 31. He added that the construction of two tube tunnels near Daulatpur is also nearing completion.
Besides, the work on the longest flyover-cum-bridge over the Baner river near Tanda Medical College is going at a fast pace. Concrete pillars have been installed for the bridge. Currently, concrete slabs are being laid. The authorities have opened Ranital flyover and Bathu bridge to the traffic.
The remaining infrastructure work, which is being carried out by Gawar Construction Company, is expected to be finished in time. The total cost of these projects is said to be Rs 1,100 crore.
Abdul Basit, state head of the NHAI, said the construction of the 225-km highway between Kangra and Shimla had been divided into five phases. The Shimla-Kangra four-lane highway is one of the strategic road projects that will connect six districts of the state to Shimla.
